Article Text
Fairfax County has established a plan for residents of Buggy Whip Drive to return home after dozens of people were evacuated following a natural gas-fueled explosion in Centreville on Sunday, Feb. 15.
Residents are being asked to submit their contact information through a county form. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will then provide them with re-entry updates and next steps.
An 18-year-old Manassas man is in custody following an alleged hit-and-run on Interstate 66 in Fairfax County. Authorities say he rear-ended a Mazda near the Route 28 exit in Centreville and left the scene. He faces charges of felony hit and run, unauthorized use of a vehicle and following too closely.
The Virginia House of Delegates advanced legislation Tuesday that would continue billions of dollars in state tax exemptions for qualifying new and existing data centers. Facilities would have to take steps to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and transition toward renewable energy. The bill, sponsored by Del. Rip Sullivan, passed largely along party lines.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week. Her rebuttal will follow Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday, giving Spanberger a prominent national platform just months after she won an office previously held by a Republican.
Two Virginia bills would extend the deadline for receiving absentee ballots from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election. HB 82, introduced by Del. Adele McClure, and SB 58, introduced by Sen. Barbara Favola, would retain the requirement that ballots be postmarked by Election Day.
The Culmore Clinic is temporarily moving while its current location undergoes renovations ahead of a housing development project. The nonprofit, which offers free and low-cost health care to lower-income residents of Culmore and Seven Corners, plans to reopen Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Columbia Crossroads Baptist Church, 3245 Glen Carlyn Road in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Washington’s record-breaking cold could push peak cherry blossom bloom later than in recent years. The National Park Service has not issued an official projection, but spokesperson Mike Litterst said peak bloom will likely arrive later in the season than it has during the past several years.
The American Lung Association’s 2026 State of Tobacco Control report gave the Washington region mixed marks. D.C. earned mostly A grades, Maryland received a combination of A, B and F grades, and Virginia recorded one C and four F grades.
Friday’s forecast calls for rain mainly before 10 a.m. and areas of fog through noon. The high will be near 57 degrees, with a 90% chance of precipitation and rainfall totals below one-tenth of an inch. Skies should become mostly clear overnight as temperatures fall to around 40 degrees.